🎶 Train Wreck — James Arthur 🎶
"Pedri??" I asked confusedly when I saw him leaning against my doorframe, he didn't look good, no not at all.
"Isa..." he mumbled weakly and stumbled inside, oh shit he was drunk or even worse, on drugs.
"Have you been drinking?" I asked him and quickly put away the kitchen knife I was still holding.
"Yeah..." he muttered and slumped down onto the couch, staring at my ceiling.
"Nothing else? Drugs? Weed? What happened?" I asked frantically, standing in front of him now.
"I got injured during training again" he said. "Two games, Isa. Two fucking games I played and now I'm injured again" he sobbed, breaking out in tears.
I couldn't help but sit down next to him and hug him, feeling my pyjama shirt getting wet with tears.
"Shhh... It's going to be alright" I said in an effort to cheer him up, rubbing his back.
"No, it's not" he sniffles and laid down on the couch, curling up like an embryo. "Can I crash here? Everything is suffocating me at home and no one's there. I feel so lonely" he sobbed and how could I say no to that? He looked so done.
"Yeah... I'll get you a pillow and a blanket. Come, you need to take a shower and brush your teeth" I told him and extended my hand for him to take.
He took it and I dragged him up and to the bathroom, where he slumped down onto the ground. I scrambled around to find an unused toothbrush and then put some toothpaste on it before giving it to him.
"I'll be back in second, you... just brush and wait here" I told him and put on my bathrobe to hurry down to the cellar. I locked the apartment door just to make sure that he wouldn't escape in this state. I rushed down to the basement where I still had some boxes with Rodri's clothes that I originally wanted to donate but hadn't found the time for yet. I scrambled around and took a few things upstairs again.
I quickly rushed back to the bathroom to see in which state he was in.
"Oh! Sorry-" I exclaimed and closed the door quickly again when I saw him naked ready to get into the shower. I heard him laugh weakly.
"It's not like you haven't seen it before" I heard him say but instead of answering, I went to my laundry cupboard and took out a fresh towel. I slightly opened the door and threw it inside without peeking. Then, I walked over to the couch and pulled out the extension to make it a bed. I decided to put some fresh sheets on it, he needed some good sleep after what happened today.
He walked outside again with the towel slung around his hip and his hair still wet.
"Here's something to sleep in..." I mumbled and gave him some boxers and a t-shirt. He opened the t-shirt and squinted his eyes to see what was written on it.
"Game Over - I Am Getting Married" he read and I rolled my eyes.
"It was from Rodri's stag do. Now get dressed and I'll grab my hair dryer, you can't go to sleep with wet hair or you'll get sick" I said and left him alone to grab my Dyson from the bathroom. I waited for a minute, hoping that he had put the boxers on by now before returning.
He was sitting on the sofa, looking at the ground defeatedly and I plugged in the device before blowing the warm air onto his head. I was probably exaggerating with the head massage but his hair was too soft and I was enjoying it.
"Your hair smells very girly now" I chuckled. "How did you get here?" I asked, praying that he hadn't driven in this state.
"Taxi" he sighed and I felt very relieved. He didn't speak and I could see his eyes getting heavy.
"Just one more minute Pedri" I told him. Thank God my daughters slept like stones and didn't wake up from the noise.
When I was done, I turned off the Dyson and he slumped down on the couch pulling the blanket over his body and cuddling himself into the pillow.
"Thank you Isa" he mumbled before drifting off to sleep. I stood there for a few minutes watching his chest slowly rise up and down, his face looking so peaceful. I was still trying to wrap my head around his injury, the reason he apparently was here, but I'd have time to talk to him about that tomorrow. I let out a sigh and went to bed too, closing the door behind me and hoping that tomorrow would be better day for Pedri.
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"MAMAAAAAAAA!!!" I heard Sofia shout and I woke and stood up in a nanosecond, running out of my room and trying to find my daughter. Her and Blanca were standing in front of the couch, heads tilted, looking at Pedri sprawled out all over.
"Yes!" I replied as I had stumbled into the living room.
"What is Pedri doing here?" Sofi asked and Blanca walked closer, blowing onto Pedri's face.
"Stop it, Blanca!" I hissed at her and she took a few steps back. "He wasn't feeling well. He was sad. Now leave him alone and get your breakfast" I told them and they followed me into the kitchen where I started preparing their porridges while brewing myself a cappuccino.
Pedri was still sleeping and I debated waking him, however I decided to dress the girls and myself first. I instructed them to be quiet and to play in their room instead of the living room. Sofi wasn't happy at all that she wasn't allowed to wake him up but I really told her off. I got dressed and joined the girls at playing dolls, however still checking the clock. At noon, I decided to do something and walked to the couch, but I was surprised to see him lay there with his eyes open.
"Good morning?" I asked and furrowed my eyebrows.
"Morning" he replied, still staring blankly outside the window.
"You want a painkiller? Water? Food?" I asked, but he only shook his head. I rolled my eyes and walked back to the kitchen as I needed to start preparing lunch for Sofi and Blanca. I cooked up some fish fingers with carrots and peas that I put onto the dining table. The girls had inevitably moved to the couch and were trying to animate Pedri to play dolls with them but he wasn't really cooperating so they used his torso as a base for their game, moving the dolls over his body.
"Lunch is ready!" I shouted and my daughters trotted over to our table and sat down in front of their plates.
"Mama, why is Pedri sad?" Blanca asked me as we ate our food.
"Because he hurt himself and that means he won't be able to play football" I explained.
"He is acting weird..." Sofia mumbled.
"He's sad, football is the thing he loves most in the world" I replied.
"He's like me" Sofi giggled and I had to crack a small smile too. I took a glance at the couch where Pedri was still looking lifeless on it.
After finishing up, we walked to the girls' room again and I got them ready for their nap. When they were settled into their beds, I closed the door behind me and walked over to the couch again for another attempt to talk to Pedri.
"Hey..." I said softly and put my hand on his arm. I waited for a reaction but it didn't come.
"Talk to me, Pedri. You want me to drive you home?" I asked but he wildly shook his head.
"No! No one's home and... I don't want to be alone" he said, burying his head into the pillow to hide his tears, but I still heard and saw them.
"Then talk to me, what kind of injury? How long?" I asked, starting to get desperate.
"What do you think it is? Hamstring" he sniffled and I closed my eyes. Why couldn't he catch a break? He had worked all summer to get back in shape, really not enjoying his holidays to the fullest just to bounce back and now this...
"What's the prognosis?" I asked again.
"Stop it with the questions!" he sobbed and I sighed, really not knowing what to do.
I walked over to one of my drawers and pulled out my emergency pack of cigarettes I used to relax after really hard days with the girls. But this was even worse. After walking out to the balcony, I dialed Fer's number, praying that he would pick up.
"Hey Isa!" he shouted and I heard some loud music in the background.
"Where are you?" I asked bewildered.
"Ibiza with some friends! What's up?" he asked cheerily.
"Your brother showed up at my doorstep drunk last night and slept here" I told him.
"Oooooohlalaaaaa, what a Romeo" he laughed.
"Not in that way!!!!!! He's injured!! He's crying rivers into my couch!!! The couch on which he slept last night, just to clarify" I shouted into the phone.
"Huh? Injured?" he asked confusedly.
"YES! How do I fucking deal with him? I have two daughters I already have to take care of and he's laying on my sofa, barely talking to me!! What do I do?" I asked desperately.
"Ah, the classic. Give him some days, he'll bounce back. I'll be back in Barcelona in a week... Hi Vanessa, whoa that bikini looks hot on you!! Ok bye Isa, I really got to go now!" he said and hung up. My jaw dropped and I looked at the closed call angrily. Those fricking Gonzalez brothers were going to be the death of me.
